New to recording and setting up a home studio.

[HeySoulSister]

Hey guys. i kinda need some help on this. Basically i want to start on how to record a good quality recordings with mixing and mastering but i'm not sure where to start with. Right now, i'm in the midst of setting up a simple home recording studio. Nothing fancy but just enough to record.

Here are some of my stuff:
Imac
AT2020 Condenser
VOX VT-40x
Instruments (Guitars and Bass)

For DAW:
Garageband - For now as i still missing of an interface. Currently own a line 6 toneport gx but i simply cant get the right tones that i want and also need phantom power for the mic.

Here are some interfaces i might consider:
Yamaha mw8cx
Presonus interfaces
Mbox2

So i hope to hear feedbacks from you guys and maybe some suggestions on interface to record and also maybe some links of sites that i can do some research on recording/mixing/mastering 101. Thanks and have a great day ahead.

 

[squarehero]

Here are some links for you that will give you all the knowledge to get started.:
Tweakheadz - Great starter guide on studio setup. Recommended first reading.

Alan Parson's Art and Science of Recording - The man gave us a great recording in Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. On Art and Science of Recording, he scores again by contributing a great wealth of knowledge in a very entertaining package. Buy it. You won't regret it.

Pensado's Place - One of the best free resources on the net into the minds of award winning studio engineers. Highly recommended once you have a good grasp of the terminology and basics.

All the best for your small home recording setup.

 

[squarehero]

In terms of gear, it is a very personal thing. Like an artist, you need to consider the sort of color you want. So, my advice is to try it all out and hear what you like.

Another note about gear. Most of the gear we have nowadays is pretty much good enough for the purposes of most recordings. Just go check for a good rating on pro audio sites like Sweetwater. Gear is but one small facet of a recording. A lot of it is about the music. A lot of it is about how you use the gear. Learn the technical stuff through and through. Then forget about it and let your feel guide you on the sound. You will only need to refer back to that technical knowledge when you detect a problem.

 

[HeySoulSister]

@squarehero
Thanks so much for those wonderful links you gave about. i will check it out. Thanks again!

 

[kongwee]

Don't get audio interface that self powered by USB or Firewire only.

 

[blueprintstudios]

I've been operating via presonus firepod/firebox/zoom r16 (5 dynamic mics + 2 condensors/phantompowered) and echo audiofire4 firewire only buspowered for last 7 years. no problems.heh.

 

[HeySoulSister]

Hey guy. thanks for all the feedback. im just wondering if anyone can recommend me a good interface which is going to be my so called "first" interface. so yea budget wise ard maybe below 400 i guess. hopefully it comes with good daw

 

[squarehero]

HeySoulSister,
You can check out Focusrite stuff in their Saffire range. I find their interfaces generally pleasing to use with transparent inputs/outputs.

 

[studio2105]

Focusrite and the phrase "transparent input/outputs" tend not to appear in the same sentence.

 

[squarehero]

Thanks for the comment, studio2105. Maybe it's not as transparent as the standard RME or Apogee.

But, it is pretty much transparent compared to Presonus. I own both interfaces. And I have heard RME and Apogee stuff. I believe HeySoulSister has a limit to his budget for transparency? He probably can't afford a Great River which I like a lot for its transparency.

Anyway, let me rephrase, I like the sound of the preamps and line outs on the Focusrite Saffire series.

 

[kongwee]

Someone in the net did a Focusrite Saffire vs Apogee Duet "blind" test. Majority vote for Saffire has cleaner preamp.

 

[squarehero]

Interesting to hear. Were the majority who voted engineers or are they people who are used to normal gear? And how was it cleaner than the Duet?

The Duet does have a nicer output section though as I have heard it vs the Liquid Saffire 56 and it practically blows the output section of the Saffire out of the water from a transient and frequency response perspective.

 

[HeySoulSister]

Hey there, thanks for all the responses. I bought a focusrite instead. Here is a attempt on Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the people. Played by one of my awesome friend who plays well with fingerstyle method and this is the first time i record and mix the tracks. Do take a listen and feedback on the recording as i wanna to improve on my mixing and recording techniques.

http://soundcloud.com/arfiansaban/pumped-up-kicks

 

[kongwee]

Interesting to hear. Were the majority who voted engineers or are they people who are used to normal gear? And how was it cleaner than the Duet?

The Duet does have a nicer output section though as I have heard it vs the Liquid Saffire 56 and it practically blows the output section of the Saffire out of the water from a transient and frequency response perspective.

If I could remember the test is on the gearslutz forum.